• reduced daylight
• cold winter weather spells causing ice and snow to build up on paths

Every year the snow and ice that covers the country receives national media coverage. Local press attention goes to the most personal cases associated with injuries that people suffer as a result of falls. Some of these injuries may result in claims for damages through the courts.

Protect your business – regardless of the size of your site, always ensure that issues affecting access routes are tackled promptly.

Winter Weather: let us correct some misconceptions

By taking steps to clear or grit a pathway to prevent an accident occurring, you are not accepting responsibility for any slips or trips that may occur on your premises. Equally, if you do not clear the ice and snow then you can be held liable for injuries that occur.

You should take all reasonable steps to reduce the risk of an accident occurring, also reducing your chances of being successfully sued for any accident that does occur.

Simple Winter Weather procedures for smaller areas

Clear a pedestrian access route pathway of at least 1 metre wide to allow access for pedestrians, pushchairs and wheelchair users. Snow and ice should be completely removed using suitable equipment (e.g. snow shovels).

Never brush snow and ice or melt it with hot water.

Do grit the pathway after clearing it to prevent ice reforming and to provide additional grip. Take extra care when clearing sloping pathways and steps.

What about bigger areas?

You can use a similar process for clearing bigger areas, such as car parks, playgrounds, etc. It requires greater manpower to clear bigger areas effectively and in a reasonable timescale. In this case, snow clearing machinery (such as snow ploughs, snow blowers, etc.) should be used and then the area should be gritted.

Alternatively, commission the services a professional contractor to do the snow clearing for you.

Contractors must be competent

Getting professional help can allow you to can concentrate on teaching, but any contractor you appoint to clear snow and ice for you must be competent. You can appoint someone to do the work for you, but you cannot give away your responsibilities.

Gritting

The most common method used to make roads and pathways safe is gritting. It is relatively cheap, quick to apply and easy to spread. Rock salt is the most commonly used ‘grit’ and is the substance used on public roads by the highways authority.

Gritting should be carried out when frost, ice or snow is forecast or when walkways are likely to be damp or wet, and the floor temperatures are at (or below) freezing. The best times are early in the evening before the frost settles and early in the morning before people arrive. Salt doesn’t work instantly; it needs sufficient time to dissolve into the moisture on the floor.

Avoid gritting during heavy rain as the salt will be washed away. Compacted snow, which turns to ice, is difficult to treat effectively with grit.

Be aware that ‘dawn frost’ can occur on dry surfaces, when early morning dew forms and freezes on impact with the cold surface. These are difficult to predict.

Simple Steps for Winter Weather

• Develop a policy, based on risk assessment, for dealing with snow and ice
• Make suitable arrangements in advance – appoint a competent contractor now, or provide your staff with the right equipment, materials and training
• Clear snow and ice from roads and pathways at your business
• Clear snow and ice from steep slopes and steps
• Avoid making pathways more dangerous – don’t allow them to refreeze
• Prioritise important and well-used routes over lesser used routes
• Clear a 1 m wide access route on pathways
• Apply grit or salt to keep roads and pathways from freezing
• Check the site to ensure that roads and pathways remain clear where temperatures remain below freezing
• Consider the needs of all employees, customers, and visitors, including disabled and elderly persons
• Ensure that adequate equipment and human resource is available to clear snow and ice

Don’t be taken in by the winter weather myths

Despite newspaper stories, there are no health and safety regulations that prevent people from clearing snow at their premises. Don’t let winter weather adversely affect your business.

The post Winter Weather – Don’t slip up this winter appeared first on LRB.

Here are some cold weather forklift truck safety tips to include in your next forklift training session:

• Winter Hazards
• Operator Protection
• Forklift Protection
• Forklift Operation
• Forklift Attachments

Winter Hazards and Cold Weather Forklift truck safety

It’s imperative that your operators understand the various hazards that arise from winter use of forklift trucks, including:

• Snow
• Ice
• Wet Conditions
• Slippery Conditions
• Cold
• Limited Visibility

You can address these hazards by taking care of two things:

• The operator, and
• The forklift truck

Operator Protection

An important component of protecting your operators is making sure that they wear the proper winter gear, including:

• Windproof Clothing (such as polypropylene long underwear)
• Warm Gloves and a suitable Hat
• High visibility outer Gear
• Multiple Layers of Warm Dress

Make sure your operator takes their breaks. In the winter, they need to concentrate more than usual, creating additional mental strain. They need their breaks to rest their eyes and brain for the next operating session.

Forklift Protection

If your forklifts do not have cabs, buy forklift covers. Avoid covers of cardboard or shrink wrap. Do not use cheap vinyl covers to save money either. Choose a cover with ribs and gutters to dispel water.

Make sure you equip the forklifts with tires suitable for winter use. The right tire will help with traction and stability.

Note that pneumatic tires are better than solid tires in bad conditions.

You can use tires with chains or studs as well.

It can help to add a weight block to the forklift too.

You should also grit the yard areas and approaches.

Forklift Operation

As part of your Cold Weather Forklift truck safety, train your operators to do a few things before, during and after they operate a forklift.

Before

• Make sure the winter items (chains, cover, studs, tire check) are all in place.
• Check the outside lighting. Is it on? Is it sufficient? Do bulbs need to be changed?
• Check the weather outside. Is it cold, wet, or icy? Operators need to know the conditions before they start working so they can dress accordingly and properly outfit the forklift.
• Put on the cover or tire chains if necessary.
• Check fuel and fluid levels.
• Allow the forklift to warm up properly. This is important for the engine and especially important for the hydraulics system.

During

• Slow down. Only go as fast as conditions will safely allow.
• Ensure continuous visibility.
• Be sure to stop working if conditions start to prevent you from working safely (limited visibility, slippery surfaces, etc).

After

• Clean the machine. Proper maintenance is the first line of defense for safe operation.
• Check fluid levels and top off if necessary.
• For electric forklifts, plug in the battery.
• For propane or diesel forklifts, plug in the battery heater (if there is one).

Forklift Attachments

AS part of your Cold Weather Forklift truck safety, there are forklift attachments available to help with snow control, including:

Plow – The plow attachment lets you utilize a forklift to push and remove snow from parking, loading and working areas.

Scoop – This attachment lets you pick up and pile snow out of the way to ensure a job can continue smoothly.

Salter/Sander – This forklift attachment allows you to care for your parking, loading and working areas and improve traction and stability for forklifts and other machinery or vehicles moving in the area.

Part of any forklift safety checklist should be making sure any attachments are firmly attached and the corresponding hydraulics function smoothly before the operator takes the forklift outdoors or moves it from its parking or storage area.

Storage

Store the forklift when not in use in a secure and dry area. Make sure it is plugged in if necessary, either for the battery or battery warmer for cold climates.

Maintenance

A good service and maintenance routine is a must for both indoor and outdoor work. Make sure maintenance services, load tests and the required annual LOLER inspection occur on time, and that your operators know to report any discrepancy on their daily check sheet immediately.

Pay close attention to vital components like engines, electrical systems, batteries and the hydraulics.

Pay Attention to Fuel Needs

In extreme cases, winterized diesel is better suited to colder weather because it is enhanced by additives to keep it from gelling in the winter. Diesel engines should be plugged in overnight to keep the fuel viscous.

Use Properly Rated Oils and Lubricants

Winter weight oils have a “W” in them and the number corresponds to the lowest temperature at which the oil can pass. For instance, 5W means 5 degrees. Use a top quality hydraulic fluid, like Hydrex XV, that has a wide working range and reaches viscosity quickly.

Do not forget the mast. Ensure lubrication occurs as needed and that the operator inspects the mast daily. The cold affects fluids first, which causes damage to the machinery if not properly monitored.

By training your operators and checking your forklifts, everyone can get through winter operations safely.

Cold Weather Forklift truck safety is important for your business – be prepared, because Safety Matters.

The post Cold Weather Forklift truck safety appeared first on LRB.

Information provided in the HSE Approved Code of Practice

42 The temperature in workrooms should provide reasonable comfort without the need for special clothing. Where such a temperature is impractical because of hot or cold processes, all reasonable steps should be taken to achieve a temperature which is as close as possible to comfortable. ‘Workroom’ in paragraphs 43 to 49 means a room where people normally work for more than short periods.

43 The temperature in workrooms should normally be at least 16 degrees Celsius unless much of the work involves severe physical effort in which case the temperature should be at least 13 degrees Celsius. These temperatures may not, however, ensure reasonable comfort, depending on other factors such as air movement and relative humidity.  These temperatures refer to readings taken using an ordinary dry bulb thermometer, close to workstations, at working height and away from windows.

Paragraph 43 does not apply to rooms or parts of rooms where it would be impractical to maintain those temperatures, for example in rooms which have to be open to the outside, or where food or other products have to be kept cold. In such cases the temperature should be as close to those mentioned in paragraph 43 as is practical. In rooms where food or other products have to be kept at low temperatures this will involve such measures as:
(a) enclosing or insulating the product;
(b) pre-chilling the product;
(c) keeping chilled areas as small as possible;
(d) exposing the product to workroom temperatures as briefly as
possible.
45 Paragraphs 43 and 44 do not apply to rooms where lower maximum
room temperatures are required in other laws. It should be noted that
general Food Hygiene Regulations do not specify maximum room
temperatures.
46 Where the temperature in a workroom would otherwise be
uncomfortably high, for example because of hot processes or the design of
the building, all reasonable steps should be taken to achieve a reasonably
comfortable temperature, for example by:

(a) insulating hot plants or pipes;
(b) providing air-cooling plant;
(c) shading windows;
(d) siting workstations away from places subject to radiant heat.

47 Where a reasonably comfortable temperature cannot be achieved throughout a workroom, local heating or cooling (as appropriate) should be provided. In extremely hot weather fans and increased ventilation
may be used instead of local cooling. Insulated duckboards or other floor coverings should be provided where workers have to stand for long periods on cold floors unless special footwear is provided which prevents
discomfort. Draughts should be excluded and self-closing doors installed where such measures are practical and would reduce discomfort.

48 Where, despite the provision of local heating or cooling, workers are exposed to temperatures which do not give reasonable comfort, suitable protective clothing and rest facilities should be provided. Where
practical there should be systems of work (for example, task rotation) to ensure that the length of time for which individual workers are exposed to uncomfortable temperatures is limited.

49 In parts of the workplace other than workrooms, such as sanitary facilities or rest facilities, the temperature should be reasonable in all the circumstances including the length of time people are likely to be there.
Changing rooms and shower rooms should not be cold.

50 Where persons are required to work in normally unoccupied rooms such as storerooms, other than for short periods, temporary heating should be provided if necessary to avoid discomfort.

The post Staying Safe in Cold Weather appeared first on LRB.

Put simply, there is nothing stopping you from clearing ice and snow from your property, or from public pavements and areas outside your property. Heads of establishments are responsible for ensuring that the means of access to their establishment is safe for both employees and visitors and that adequate arrangements are made to ensure that the risks from snow and ice are minimised. The true position is that a company may be held liable for ‘failing to act reasonably’ in order to prevent accidents caused by snow and ice.

With snow and ice clearance, you must be careful not to make the situation worse, and to clear snow and ice sensibly, particularly from around steps, and steep slopes.

Here are a few simple tips towards clearing snow and ice safely.

•    Clear snow and ice from roads and pathways on your premises.

•    Avoid making pathways more dangerous by allowing them to refreeze.

•    Clear snow and ice from steep slopes and steps.

•    Prioritise important and well used routes over lesser used routes.

•    Clear a route 1m wide on pathways.

•    Apply grit or salt to keep roads and pathways from freezing.

•    Checks made at appropriate intervals to ensure that roads and pathways remain clear where temperatures remain below freezing.

•    Consider the needs of employees and visitors, in particular disabled and elderly visitors.

•    Ensure that adequate equipment is available to clear snow and ice.

The post Snow and ice clearance advice appeared first on LRB.

It is a popular misconception that it is against the law for Snow and Ice Clearance to occur on pavements.

Put simply, there is nothing stopping you from clearing ice and snow from your property, or from public pavements and areas outside your property. Heads of establishments are responsible for ensuring that the means of access to their establishment is safe for both employees and visitors and that adequate arrangements are made to ensure that the risks from snow and ice are minimised. The true position is that a company may be held liable for ‘failing to act reasonably’ in order to prevent accidents caused by snow and ice.

Be careful not to make the situation worse, and to clear snow and ice sensibly, especially from around steps, and steep slopes.

Here are a few simple tips towards clearing snow and ice safely:

• Clear snow and ice from roads and pathways on our premises.
• Avoid making pathways more dangerous by allowing them to refreeze.
• Clear snow and ice from steep slopes and steps.
• Prioritise important and well used routes over lesser used routes.
• Clear a route 1m wide on pathways.
• Apply grit or salt to keep roads and pathways from freezing.
• Checks made at appropriate intervals to ensure that roads and pathways remain clear where temperatures remain below freezing.
• Consider the needs of employees and visitors, in particular disabled and elderly visitors.
• Ensure that adequate equipment is available to clear snow and ice.

The post Can I clear snow & ice? appeared first on LRB.

Cold weather as a hazard is difficult to define as it depends upon personal experiences, your local climate, whether or not you are acclimatised, but generally speaking it is whenever the conditions are cold enough to potentially threaten your health.  The danger is not only from the ambient temperature but also the wind chill effect, rain, the condition of the workers, etc.

How do I plan cold weather work?

There are several considerations when placing workers in a cold environment.  These include:

•    The training and experience of all team members

•    Selection of clothing and equipment

•    Knowing the local weather forecast is coming

•    Workers not doing more than they are capable of doing, ie taking more frequent breaks

•    Workers diet, when working in a cold environment more calories will be used to keep the body warm, therefore it is essential that workers regularly top up energy levels with frequent snacks.

•    Dehydration can also be a risk, as protective clothing could lead to sweating during arduous work, potentially doubling the required daily water intake.

Whilst not an exhaustive list, these are just some of the areas where control measures should be in place. If you are concerned about working outside during bad weather conditions, give us a call on 01509 550023

The post Cold Weather Safety appeared first on LRB.